Tool for creating forms in webpage

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to techniques for generating forms on a webpage. Within source code of a webpage, a script file is included that creates a form object class that can be inserted into the source code of the webpage. A device creates a first configuration file that defines a first plurality of components of a first form, including at least one input component and at least one submission component. The device instantiates, within the source code of the webpage, the form object class to create a first instance that includes a reference to the first configuration file. The device executes the source code by executing the script file, executing the first instance using the script file and the first configuration file to generate a graphical user interface that includes at least a portion of the first plurality of components of the first form.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 including, within source code of a webpage, a script file, wherein the script file creates a form object class that can be inserted into the source code of the webpage; 
 creating a first configuration file that defines a first plurality of components of a first form, the first plurality of components including at least one input component and at least one submission component; 
 instantiating, within the source code of the webpage, the form object class to create a first instance of the form object class, wherein the first instance includes a reference to the first configuration file; and 
 executing, using one or more processors, the source code, wherein executing the source code comprises:
 executing the script file; 
 executing the first instance of the form object class using the script file and the first configuration file to generate a graphical user interface that includes at least a portion of the first plurality of components of the first form; and 
 outputting, for display on a display device, the graphical user interface. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 editing the first configuration file such that the first configuration file defines a second plurality of components of a second form, the second plurality of components including at least one input component and at least one submission component, the second plurality of components being different than the first plurality of components; and 
 refraining from editing the source code; 
 re-executing, using the one or more processors, the source code, wherein re-executing the source code comprises:
 re-executing the script file; 
 re-executing the first instance of the form object class using the script file and the first configuration file to generate a second graphical user interface that includes at least a portion of the second plurality of components of the second form; and 
 outputting, for display on the display device, the second graphical user interface. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating a second configuration file that defines a second plurality of components of a second form, the second plurality of components including at least one input component and at least one submission component, the second plurality of components being different than the first plurality of components; 
 editing the source code only to change the instantiation of the first instance of the form object class to be a second instance of the form object class, wherein the second instance includes a reference to the second configuration file; and 
 re-executing, using the one or more processors, the source code, wherein re-executing the source code comprises:
 re-executing the script file; 
 re-executing the first instance of the form object class using the script file and the first configuration file to generate a second graphical user interface that includes at least a portion of the second plurality of components of the second form; and 
 outputting, for display on the display device, the second graphical user interface. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the script file comprises a JavaScript file. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration file comprises a text file written in JavaScript Object Notation. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the source code comprises Hypertext Markup Language source code. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein instantiating the form object class to create the first instance of the form object class comprises instantiating the form object class within a single tag of the source code. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the single tag of the source code includes only a single variable defining the first configuration file. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration file comprises values for each of the plurality of components and one or more of:
 a name value, 
 an id value, 
 a version value, 
 a type value, and 
 an action value. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the value for each of the at least one submission components comprises text to be displayed within a submission button on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the values for each of the at least one input components comprise one or more of:
 a field name, 
 a field input type, 
 a field descriptor type, 
 a field label, 
 a field display size, 
 a field validation, 
 a field validation message, 
 a field help message, 
 one or more field input options, and 
 field adaptive logic. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the field input type comprises one or more of a text input type, a dropdown input type, a checkbox input type, and a radio button input type. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first configuration file is created within one or more of a text editor or a web browser. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first configuration file is created within the web browser, and wherein the method further comprises:
 as text is entered into a configuration file field within the web browser, outputting, for display on the display device, a preview image of a form generated using the text currently in the configuration file field. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein outputting the graphical user interface for display comprises outputting, for display as part of a web page, the graphical user interface. 
     
     
       16. A computing device comprising:
 one or more storage components configured to store source code of a webpage, wherein the source code of the webpage includes a script file, wherein the script file creates a form object class that can be inserted into the source code of the webpage; and 
 one or more processors configured to:
 create a first configuration file that defines a first plurality of components of a first form, the first plurality of components including at least one input component and at least one submission component; 
 instantiate, within the source code of the webpage, the form object class to create a first instance of the form object class, wherein the first instance includes a reference to the first configuration file; and 
 execute the source code by:
 executing the script file; 
 executing the first instance of the form object class using the script file and the first configuration file to generate a graphical user interface that includes at least a portion of the first plurality of components of the first form; and 
 outputting, for display on a display device, the graphical user interface. 
 
 
 
     
     
       17. The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors being configured to instantiate the form object class to create the first instance of the form object class comprises the one or more processors being configured to instantiate the form object class within a single tag of the source code. 
     
     
       18. The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the single tag of the source code includes only a single variable defining the first configuration file. 
     
     
       19. The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors being configured to output the graphical user interface for display comprises the one or more processors being configured to output, for display as part of a web page, the graphical user interface. 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computing device to:
 create a first configuration file that defines a first plurality of components of a first form, the first plurality of components including at least one input component and at least one submission component; 
 instantiate, within source code of a webpage, a form object class to create a first instance of the form object class, wherein the first instance includes a reference to the first configuration file, wherein the source code of the webpage includes a script file, wherein the script file creates the form object class that can be inserted into the source code of the webpage; and 
 execute the source code by:
 executing the script file; 
 executing the first instance of the form object class using the script file and the first configuration file to generate a graphical user interface that includes at least a portion of the first plurality of components of the first form; and 
 outputting, for display on a display device, the graphical user interface.